SUMMARY
Unlike other multiethnic countries in the Sub-Saharan African context, the Somali society is characterized by a vast system of clans. Most of the population belongs to one of the five overarching clan families namely the Darod, the Isaaq, the Hawiye, the Dir, and the Rahanweyn (also known as Rewin or Digil-Mirifle). Each clan family is further divided into sub-clans and in some cases into sub-sub-clans. The origins of the clans are shared and each clan is related to the others, yet there are differences in terms of culture, tradition, and the form of life.
Up until independence in 1960, the Somali society was organized according to the clan system and each clan had a leader and a council of elders. These leaders played a major role in daily life and especially in intertribal relations. The council of elders was responsible for maintaining peace and harmony amongst the Somali people. Weakened clans were, for example, to be protected and were at times integrated into stronger clans in order to assure its survival. When inter-clan conflicts did occur, rules of conduct were agreed upon; such as caring for the injured or the treatment of prisoners.
During the post-independence era, traditional structures were replaced by modern governmental and judicial institutions hence removing the power once given to the clan leader and the council of the elders. As a result, relations between clans continuously deteriorated, which in turn also resulted in a stronger sense of affiliation to one’s own clan. This process contributed to, and was further strengthened by, the outbreak of the intra-state conflict in Somalia which began at the end of 1982. Clan-related conflicts continued to fuel non-state conflicts in Somalia.
The conflict between the Huber subclan of Mirifle clan (Digil-Mirifle) and the Yantar subclan of Mirifle clan (Digil-Mirifle) is related to the before-mentioned decrease of the importance of traditional structures. Both actors are part of the Sagaal line of the Mirifle side of the Digil-Mirifle clan, and are subsequently closely related and live in neighboring areas. As all subclans of the Digil-Mirifle, the Huber subclan, and the Yantar subclan share agreed upon traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and customary law regulating their interactions. The immediate trigger of the conflict, the failure to avoid violence as well as the high level of violence during the conflict all result from the non-respect of those traditional rules.
The conflict was triggered by an incident in 2004, when a member of the Huber subclan took a bath in a water source shared between the two subclans, which violated basic customary law. A member of the Yantar subclan who happened to witness the bath reacted and, after warning, shot the bathing Huber. Instead of resolving the dispute by traditional means, both sides started to engage in violence, which continued until 2006. The conflict was characterized by an unusually high degree of violence, the targeting of women, elders, and children as well as the killing of cattle, all of which was prohibited by the customary law of the Digil-Mirifle.
The conflict between theHuber subclan and the Yantar subclan is also related to an increased level of mistrust between the two groups. The economically flourishing village of Idale, where the conflict took place, is majoritarian Yantaar, while the Huber dominates the surrounding area. Over time, the Huber became more and more dependent on the comparably rich village, resulting in tensions between the two subclans.
A series of peace initiatives and mediation efforts from various actors – elders of the two subclans, elders of neighboring clans, national MPs and NGOs – tried to settle the conflict from as early as 2004. While some managed to mediate a temporary ceasefire, they failed to reach a deeper and lasting settlement until late 2005/ early 2006, when the conflict was settled and a reconciliation process aiming to decrease mistrust in order to avoid future violence was launched.
The non-state conflict between the Huber subclan of Mirifle clan (Digil-Mirifle) and the Yantar subclan of Mirifle clan (Digil-Mirifle) is first included in UCDP data in 2005. In August of that year fighting between the two groups resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.
